By Dave Sherwood
HAVANA (Reuters) – Hurricane Rafael was gaining strength as it churned north towards western Cuba early on Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center said, warning it could approach major hurricane status before slamming into the Caribbean island later in the day.
The hurricane was located about 195 miles (310 km) southeast of Cuba’s capital Havana at daybreak Wednesday, packing maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 kph) with higher gusts, the Miami-based forecaster said.
“Rapid strengthening is forecast, and Rafael could be near major hurricane intensity before it makes landfall in Cuba later today,” the NHC said.
Rafael strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane overnight as it lashed the Cayman Islands, causing widespread power outages and flooding. Heavy rains had earlier hit parts of Jamaica.
Cuba’s government was evacuating residents from low-lying areas, particularly on the island’s south coast, where officials warned of heavy rains, wind and a life-threatening storm surge.
Authorities closed airports across western Cuba ahead of the storm, grounding flights at both Havana’s Jose Marti airport as well as at the popular beach resort at Varadero through Thursday.
Schools were closed across the island and all public transportation in Havana has been shut down until after the storm’s passage.
The timing could not be worse for the Communist-run island, which last month suffered a total collapse of its national electric grid, leaving an estimated 10 million people without power for several days.
Hurricane Oscar made landfall in far eastern Cuba around the same time as the blackout, throwing a one-two punch that has sapped precious resources in a country suffering from severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine.
Continuing rolling blackouts, crippled communications and fuel shortfalls have complicated the government’s efforts to prepare residents for the storm.
Rafael appeared set to cut across the farm province of Artemisa late on Wednesday, west of Havana.
Cuba’s waterfront capital city of two million people is especially vulnerable to a hurricane strike, with antiquated, densely packed housing and decrepit infrastructure.
Forecasters predict the storm will spin off towards the western Gulf of Mexico later this week, though the track remains uncertain, the NHC said.
(Reporting by Dave Sherwood; Editing by Christina Fincher)
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